The year 2014 has come and gone, but it was definitely a memorable one for me... new job, met a lot of lovely, diverse people, started a new routine of making green smoothies, watched my kids turn ten and thirteen, helped a family member get through an illness, watched a lot of great films, and read a lot of inspirational books. I have started 2015 on a positive note, by taking more chances, and not caring so much about what others think. I joined a running clinic that has made me fall in love with running for the first time in my life, and I will talk more about that in a future post.
With this being my first entry for 2015, I've put together a top ten list of a few of my favourite things from the past year. Maybe some of these items are also on your list? Without further ado, here they are...
1. Fitbit One Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker
I clip this little slim, portable guy everyday on to the waist of my pants, or in my pocket. It records my steps, calories burned, kms walked, stairs climbed, and hours of sleep. It resets every morning, and syncs wirelessly to the Fitbit app on my iPhone to quickly view the summary of the current day, previous day, or week. It also has a watch, so I can see what time it is throughout the day.
 |
| Fitbit One |
2. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Trio in Nude
If you like, or have tried the cult favourite,
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eyeliners, you will love the PF Shimmer Strips eyeliners. These have super staying power, and they literally do not come off, even if you rub. I probably have the most oily lids in the universe with my Asian eyes, and nothing seemed to stay on the whole day until I tried these. In comparison, the UD eyeliners are $20 each at Sephora, whereas the PF ones come in a set of three for about $14 at Shoppers, Target, or Walmart. They are made in the US, and come in different sets that suit each eye colour, but my favourite one is Nude. It contains a true-black shade, a dark brown, bronzy shade with subtle shimmer, and a light bronze shade also with a bit of shimmer. These are twist-up style, so you don't need a sharpener, but if you do want a finer point, they do come with a built-in sharpener at the bottom.
 |
| Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner Trio in Nude |
There is a
Burberry Body version that I find too strong and musky, but the
Burberry Body Tender version is perfect. I love this perfume because it smells so fresh, without being too flowery or woodsy. It contains a combination of lemon, English roses, white jasmine, sandalwood, cashmeran, and amber. I find myself reaching for this perfume each morning, more than the other ones in my collection.
 |
| Burberry Body Tender Eau de Toilette |
I've been researching and looking at different E-Readers for about a year, and decided to get the Kobo Aura. I previously bought the Kindle Paperwhite, but found that the E-PUB format that my local library has, was not compatible with the Kindle, so I needed to download a third-party conversion software and convert the file, which was a major pain in the butt. The Kobo Aura is compatible with E-PUB, PDF, Adobe DRM, and RTF formats. It has a 6 inch display, and is so light and compact. It easily fits in my purse, and the battery charge lasts about a week. It has a soft glow light so I can read in the dark, and the screen is non-glare. Most e-books from my library have a three week loan period, and it automatically just comes off my device after the three weeks, unless I choose to renew the book. Below is a photo of my Kobo Aura, with the
Kobo Aura Sleepcover, in purple.
 |
| Kobo Aura E-Reader with Kobo Aura Sleepcover in purple |
This book first came out in 2012, but is my favourite one that I read in 2014. I remember staying up late at night reading this, as I couldn't put it down. It is filled with suspense, tragedy, friendship, hope, grief and forgiveness. I loved it from beginning to end, and can't wait to read more books by this author.
 |
| Night Road by Kristin Hannah |
Love, love, love this flannel shirt. I bought it from Aritzia in Canada on sale. It is fitted, but a little oversized and long, so that you can wear it with leggings or skinny jeans. It is so comfortable and warm, plus I am obsessed with the red/black buffalo check pattern! Needless to say, it has become my new favourite shirt.
 |
| TNA Brisco Shirt in Buffalo Check from Aritzia |
I like to slather this body cream on after my shower, especially in the winter, when my skin is so dry. Origins is my favourite natural skin-care company, and I use
A Perfect World SPF 25 moisturizer on my face every morning. The Ginger Souffle body cream has a citrusy, uplifting scent that always improves my mood when I put it on. It has a thick, whipped cream consistency that is non-greasy and long-lasting. For me, one tub lasts about a year (seriously!), and you can buy it at Sephora for about $38. It is made with natural ingredients, pure essential oils, and does not contain any parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances/dyes, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs, or triclosan.
 |
| Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream |
I am quite a movie buff, and saw a lot of them in 2014. My favourite film of the year is... drumroll please... Interstellar, directed by Christopher Nolan, and starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine. This movie was a space adventure, and felt like a roller coaster ride filled with action and emotions. It was everything that I thought Gravity was going to be. I am usually not a fan of Anne Hathaway, but decided to take a chance and give it a try. I am so glad that I did. And Matthew McConaughey... what can I say?!?!
 |
| Interstellar movie |
When my husband competed in his first Tough Mudder in 2014, he bought a pair of these socks for himself, and picked up a pair for me (he always surprises me with random gifts). I've been hooked ever since! I have since bought two more pairs of these from
MEC here in Canada. They keep my feet so warm in the winter, and I love wearing them with boots. They are made in the US, from 38% nylon, 30% Merino wood, 30% acrylic, and 2% spandex. The heel and toe are cushioned, so if feels super-comfy when I walk in them.
 |
| Fox River Outdoor Strive Merino Wool Socks |
Last but not least, my beloved Vitamix is at the top of the list for 2014. If you remember my previous post found
here, I raved about this machine, and I am proud to say that the love affair is still going strong. I make my delicious green smoothie each morning before work, and am proud of myself for keeping this up consistently. It has not decreased in quality or function at all, and I have not experienced any problems with it whatsoever. You can still use my discount code
06-010043 when you purchase any item directly from
Vitamix.com.
 |
| Vitamix CIA Professional Series Blender |
And there you have it. Are some of these things on your list? If not, I would love to see your favourite things! ~ Janice ❤
No comments:
Post a Comment